AN: Next installment, two years after Happy Birthday. This story is dedicated in memory of Anne-Marie, my aunt Pamela, and everybody else who has lost a childhood battle with cancer. Your lives were taken too soon, but you've filled our hearts with memories. You will never be forgotten.
Bobby stretched out lazily, looking over to his right where his girlfriend lay, still sleeping soundly. Maybe it was selfish, but it was days like this that he was glad Michael was miles away in Boston keeping his mother from indulging in idle fantasies and allowing him the chance. Those thoughts allowed a tiny bit of jealousy to enter his mind at the idea of Emma indulging in anything with somebody else, but he shrugged that off quickly. She was the mother of his child, and in that way Bobby would always care about her and what she did, but she was certainly his EX-wife. As Bobby donned the pair of pajama bottoms that had been carelessly thrown the night before, Kristen began to stir into wakefulness. "Hey beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "How about some breakfast?"
Kristen, also known as Durga, blinked dark eyes at him for a few seconds before the words finally registered. "Sure." She mumbled, attempting to reign in her unruly mane of thick black hair.
"Great!" Bobby said, lying back down beside her. "So what're you making?" A fierce look crossed Kristen's eyes and a mace appeared in her hand out of nowhere. "Just kidding!" Bobby laughed, running for the kitchen.
Opening the refrigerator, Bobby pulled out eggs and soy milk along with his regular milk prepared to make omelets. It was strange how many ways Kristen had managed to change his life. She was Emma's exact opposite in every way, where Emma was fair skinned, blond with blue eyes, Kristen's tanned skin and ebony hair belied her Eastern ancestry as much as her dark brown eyes. While Emma was the typical non-practicing Catholic, Kristen followed the Vedic teachings of her mother's family very strictly, hence the soy milk Bobby thought, cringing as he poured the substance that seemed to him like liquefied chalk. That was why she'd chosen the code name Durga, after the wife of Vishnu who helped in the destruction of evil. Durga, the goddess, was often pictured holding weapons to fight evil with in her many hands, and Kristen had the unique ability to solidify the atoms in the air into any solid object; but most importantly weapons to fight bad guys. However, the major difference between the woman in his bed, and his former wife was quite simple: Bobby didn't think it was possible for Kristen to be half as uptight as Emma was on a regular basis. Yah, life is sweet. Bobby thought, his mind drifting to the dark beauty lying half naked in his bedroom. It can't get much better than this.
His reverie was broken when the phone rang. Leaving the whisk in the 'blasphemy bowl,' as Kristen referred to it so he'd remember which was which, Bobby walked across the room and grabbed the receiver off the wall. "Hank if this is you I'm hanging up." He said cordially as a greeting.
The line was silent for a couple seconds, then...Bobby?
"Emma! What's wrong?" The sound of her voice sent chills down Bobby's spine. She sounded like it was an effort to speak, tears choking her voice off.
Oh, Bobby! She sobbed, the tears finally breaking through allowing panic to take over. Bobby I don't know what to do! I don't know what I'm going to do!
Kristen had entered the kitchen, leaning seductively against the doorframe, but a look from Bobby sent her to a seat at the kitchenette instead. "Em, baby, what's wrong? You gotta talk to me here." Kristen glared at him for that, but Bobby paid no attention, listening instead for the words to break through Emma's cries. "Where are you Emma? Is there somebody else I can talk to?" Through the sobs, Bobby thought he heard an acknowledgement then sounds of the phone being passed to somebody else.
Mr. Drake, a male voice came on the line, stiff and professional it made Bobby cringe.
"Who the hell is this," Bobby snarled into the phone. "I swear if you've hurt her..."
Mr. Drake, I'm Doctor Nighelli at Children's Hospital in Boston. The words caused dread to pool uncomfortably in Bobby's stomach, unconsciously ice started to creep over his body as he assumed his ice form. I'm afraid we have some bad news regarding your son Michael. It seems he has developed a rare form of leukemia. We're sending him to the Dana Farber Institute for some more tests, but I'm afraid our findings are quite conclusive. Silence reigned on the line for a few seconds, and in the back of his mind Bobby mused he should probably say something. Then the voice came back. It might be best if you were able to come to Boston as quickly as possible to be with Michael.
* * * * *
"Sissa, play wif me!" A tinny two-year old shriek echoed off the walls of the Lebeau apartment.
Celeste shrugged and turned to glare at her younger sister, while the little girl tugged violently on the straps of Celeste's backpack. "Laur, I can't play with you. I haveta go ta school." Laurel looked at her for a few seconds, huge tears forming in her big blue eyes, then the bottom lip started to quiver and Celeste promptly covered her ears before...
"NOOOOOO!!!!" She wrapped her arms around Celeste's waist and held on for dear life, screaming the entire time. "SISSA NO GO!!!"
"MOOOOOM!" Celeste screamed simply to be heard over the noise the two-year old was making.
Rogue eventually made her way to the front door, prying Laurel away from Celeste, allowing the nine-year old to slip out the door. Fresh screams erupted from Laurel as the door shut, making Celeste disappear from the little girl's world. "Shhhh, baby." Rogue cooed into her hair, as the screams eventually dimmed to sobs. "Celeste has to go to school, baby. She'll be back before you know it." She picked Laurel up and put her back in the playroom where her favorite toys were still strewn across the floor. "Let me know when you want lunch, shugah." That done Rogue went back to her breakfast with her husband. "Ah don't know what it is with that child, Remy."
Gambit just cringed into his coffee. "She'll get over it, chere. Needs ta be away from us more often. T'ink we could pawn 'er off on Stormy once a week?" A devilish smile crept across his lips at the thought of one day a week alone with his beautiful wife.
"Not if yah put it to her like that, swamp rat." Rogue laughed.
Remy was about to come out with a great rejoinder, when the phone rang and interrupted his concentration. Smiling devilishly, he reached out and grabbed the cordless phone. "Allo, Lebeau residence." Rogue laughed, knowing how much he like the sound of that phrase, but the look that crossed her husband's face quickly banished any happy thoughts. "Bobby, homme, slow down." Rogue got up from the table and walked over behind her husband, trying vainly to listen in the phone with him. "Mmm-hmmm... uh-huh...merde...Anyt'in' y'need us t'do?...Okay...uh-huh...How is she...dat bad..." Promptly, Remy put a hand over the mouthpiece, motioning for Rogue to sit down "...Yah, I'm here, homme...'course...be right dere."
"Remy what tha hell is goin' on?" Rogue asked, concern and anger warring over her expression.
Finally Gambit looked her in the eyes, tears lurking in his murky depths. "Dat was Bobby, Emma called him from Chillen's Hospital." He paused, while thoughts of blood and gore passed through Rogue's head. "Michael has cancer."
The shock sent her back down into her chair with a thud. "Good Lawd...is it bad?"
Remy just shook his head. "I tol' him I'd bring 'im ta Boston. Don' trust 'im ta drive or fly right now."
"Course, shugah. When're ya goin'?" Rogue asked calmly, taking a sip of her coffee to settle her nerves.
"Soon as I'm ready ta go." Remy said, moving to stand from the table. He walked to the kids' playroom and looked around the corner at Laurel, who was busy playing with her Little Tykes dollhouse, the Celeste fiasco completely forgotten. He had needed to see her before he left, needed to know that his youngest baby was okay.
Finally she noticed his shadow, covering the light falling on the dollhouse and turned to look at him, her brilliant smile lighting up her face. "Daddy, come play wif me." She said innocently, holding up one of the dolls for him to use.
Suddenly he felt guilty for wanting to give her to anybody else for even one second, never mind a whole day. "I'd love to angel." Remy said, stepping expertly over the baby gate that kept his little one from venturing too far. "But right now Daddy has t'go on a trip wit Uncle Bobby." Her smile turned immediately into a frown, her freckled nose scrunching up getting ready for the tears to fall. "Don' cry, p'tite." He said, picking her up and whispering into her hair. "I be back soon. Daddy an' Uncle Bobby have t'go on an adventure, like y'Chuck sends us on sometimes. Daddy be back as soon as he c'n. But first I need a kiss."
Laurel obligingly gave him a big smack on the lips. "Daddy, you come back you play dolls wif me? Pwomise?"
"Anyt'ing f'r you, angel." Remy said, then left for the living room where he knew Rogue would be waiting to say the final good-byes. He didn't say anything just looked into her eyes, then melted into her waiting embrace. Even after almost ten years of marriage touching her like this was something that Remy could never get enough of. Pulling away enough to see her face, their foreheads met, touching just slightly while they whispered their good-byes, and the Cajun relished in every second of it. Gently their lips met and he knew it was time to go.
Reluctantly he turned to walk out the door, when Rogue's voice stopped him one last time. "Remy, what am Ah gonna tell Celeste?"
"Don' know, chere." He said, not having the strength to face her. "Whatever y'say, dis is gon' break her little heart. If y' wan' y' c'n wait till I get back." Rogue didn't answer, and Remy finally closed the door to his little apartment, his little family, and stepped out into the mansion to go get Bobby to reunite him with his little family.